


Eternal Flame

by terrifier



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Childhood Memories, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gaang (Avatar), Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Past Child Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Spirit World (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26064472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terrifier/pseuds/terrifier
Summary: In order to stand a chance at bringing an end to the war, the spirits of the Spirit World decide the gaang needs Azula on their side.Thus, they send the gaang, Zuko, and Azula on an adventure through the past.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula/June (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> warnings for child abuse, neglect, and gaslighting. all the typical ozai tags basically
> 
> p.s. i havent watched the series for a while now so i may have some events mixed up a little. feel free to point out if I have :p
> 
> p.p.s. this is when they’re at the air temple so not long before zuko and sokka rescue suki and co., and mai and ty lee betray azula :<
> 
> enjoy x

Zuko is loathed to admit it, but he’s afraid. He’s been training Aang firebending for what feels like months, and yet the Avatar shows a reluctance that Zuko had never felt when he himself had been learning firebending.

As a child, his sister Azula had always been better at bending than he was. She showed signs of being a bender way before him and she was younger than him. Zuko had only shown his first signs at least a year after she had which meant she had already progressed much further than he had with her training.

She had been named by their father and grandfather, and soon the rest of the Fire Nation, as a prodigy. Jealousy had always burned hot inside of Zuko at this, no matter how happy he tried to be for his sister. 

Sometimes, though, no matter how great Azula was at firebending, Zuko thinks maybe it would have been better if she had been born without the ability to bend. Azula had grown more and more mean, cunning, and vindictive. She would use her firebending to hurt and instil fear into others, including even Zuko. Zuko thinks even their mother had been afraid of her, or more accurately, what she could be capable of.

Zuko sighs and shakes all thoughts of Azula away, focusing instead on the Avatar throwing fists in an attempt to summon even the slightest spark.

”It’s not working,” Aang sighs, throwing himself to the floor and using a cushion of air to soften his fall.

”You’ve just got to be patient,” Zuko tells him as he joins Aang on the ground.

”I can’t be patient,” Aang replies, eyes wide, “Sozin’s Comet is on its way! There’s no time for patience, Zuko, I need to learn firebending _now_.”

Zuko nods. Aang is right. If they want to stand any chance of defeating Ozai in the war, Aang will need to have mastered all four elements. The only one he has left to master was fire, and he’s relying on Zuko to teach him.

Looking at Aang who is slumped dejectedly, Zuko wonders if he’s even the right person to be teaching him firebending. Now that he’s no longer angry- anger being the main source of his bending- his fire is weak at best and nonexistent at worst.

Guilt bubbles in his stomach and he swallows.

“Maybe we should take a break for today,” Zuko suggested, standing up. He wiped the dirt off of his clothes.

Aang nods and jumps to his feet. The dirt below him scatters about in a cloud of muddy air.

With the promise of rest, Aang races ahead of Zuko back to the others. Watching him go, Zuko itches the back of his head and sighs. After so long, it still feels weird to have his hair back.

* * *

Zuko swallows his rice hungrily. After a break, he and Aang had gotten back to training and now they’re both exhausted. The bowls of rice in their hands are the only things keeping them awake. 

Zuko suppresses a yawn around another mouthful of rice. His chopsticks clank lightly against the sides of his bowl as he eats and listens to the others conversing carelessly.

In another world, Zuko thinks that maybe they could have all been friends. Maybe they will have met under different circumstances. In a market or at a lake whilst taking the day off to blow off some steam. They will have been instant friends, Zuko thinks.

“So, how’s your training going, Aang?” Katara asks Aang. 

Aang and Zuko share sheepish looks.

”It’s, uh, it’s going,” Aang replies evasively.

”What does _that_ mean, Twinkletoes?” Toph snorts.

“Aang just needs a bit more training before he’s ready,” Zuko answers when Aang shrugs.

“Well you’d better hurry because the comet isn’t going to wait for you to master all four elements,” Sokka enlightens them.

”Thanks, Sokka,” Aang mumbles into his food.

”No problem, buddy,” Sokka pats Aang on the back.

”Oof,” Aang wheezes, causing Zuko and the others to snicker. 

Once they’ve all eaten and tidied everything up, they all decide to call it a day and get some rest before another big day filled with training.

Zuko sets up his meagre bed down along with everyone else’s so they’re all close to each other should they be ambushed in the night or feel the need to make a quick getaway for whatever reason.

Toph is on his left and Aang is on his right. Katara is in between Sokka and Aang, and near the entrance to the temple is Appa who blocks out the moonlight cast on them. Momo is curled up next to Appa, no doubt because he’s fluffy and warm.

Zuko thinks Momo has the right idea, but he’s too tired to move so he settles down and says a quiet goodnight to the others. Either they’re too tired to say it back or they’re asleep as there’s no reply.

Zuko is tired himself, though, so he closes his eyes and turns onto his side, bringing his thin blanket up to his chin. His body temperature runs higher than most people’s, being a fire bender at all, but he can’t deny that the Air Temple is chilly.

* * *

When Zuko wakes up, he has the feeling that he hasn’t been asleep for very long. It feels like he’s only just closed his eyes. Groaning, he turns onto his stomach and buries his face into the ground. Then he frowns because the ground doesn’t feel like the hard stone the temples are made out of. It doesn’t even feel like dirt, he thinks.

Zuko opens his eyes and looks down at grass of a very dark green colour. Immediate confusion clouds his mind and he throws himself hastily to his feet to get a better look at his surroundings.

He’s no longer at the Air Temple, that’s for certain. In fact, he doesn’t know where he is at all. Everything is dark, yet light enough for him to see where he’s going. He has a feeling that if he walked straight through a dark forest, he would still be able to navigate through the trees.

It doesn’t help with his knowledge of where he is, though.

”Aang!” He calls loudly in the hopes of finding someone. “Katara! Sokka! Toph!”

He cups his hands around his mouth to elevate his voice and begins to walk in a random direction.

”Toph!” He shouts again. Surely if she were around, she’d be able to find him with her earthbending sight. “Sokka!”

”Zuko?” 

Zuko pauses and waits for the voice again. When he hears it a second time he whirls around and heads in its direction.

”Sokka?” He calls.

”Zuko, where are you?” Sokka replies noisily. Zuko can hear foliage rustling where he assumes Sokka is making his way toward him.

”Keep moving forward,” Zuko helps Sokka.

Soon enough, Sokka eventually falls through a thick bush and lands at Zuko’s feet. Zuko helps him stand with concern.

”Are you okay? Where are the others?” Zuko asks.

”Yeah, I’m fine,” Sokka answers, “and I don’t know where the others are. I just woke up a minute ago on the other side of those bushes.”

Zuko looks behind Sokka at the foliage where he’d just appeared from. Could the others be over there too somewhere?

”What the hell’s going on, man? Have we been kidnapped? What even is this place? Oh, my- are we dead?” Zuko can see Sokka’s getting hysterical, his mind whirring erratically with more and more eccentric ideas, so Zuko puts his hands firmly on Sokka’s shoulders.

”We’re not dead, Sokka,” he says flatly.

Slowly, Sokka nods his head at the even look in Zuko’s eyes.

”We just need to find the others and get out of here, okay?” Zuko tells him.

”You’re right,” Sokka agrees and immediately, he plasters a look on his face that Zuko himself has worn before when father had upset Azula. It’s the look of a brother who will do anything for his younger sister.

Zuko removes his hands from Sokka’s shoulders and turns around.

”Come on,” he says, already moving.

* * *

It doesn’t take long to find the others. Well, Toph found them first because Sokka accidentally kicked a small rock which made some disturbance in the earth, allowing her to find them.

Aang and Katara took a bit more searching to find. They were both unconscious, laying starfish in a clearing in the woods. Sokka woke up Katara and Toph accidentally kicked Aang’s head which stirred him fairly quickly.

Once they were all together, they were finally given an answer to their whereabouts. According to Aang, they were in the Spirit World.

”The Spirit World?! What- but how?! How did we get here? We _are_ dead! You lied to me, Zuko!” Sokka dramatically fell to his knees with a cry. 

“What? We’re not dead, Sokka,” Aang informs him with a laugh.

"But- but we're in the Spirit World. It's the only logical explanation," Sokka says weakly, a finger held aloft.

"We're not dead," Aang repeats.

"Then why are we here, Twinkletoes?" Toph asks a little impatiently.

"I guess the spirits must need us for something," Aang guesses.

"Like what? What could they possibly need us for?" Sokka groans, falling to the floor.

Aang shrugs. 

"If they need us, where are they?" Katara asks. 

Zuko looks around the clearing they're still stood in, but he doesn't see anyone or anything. Not even a slight rustle of the trees. He frowns. Something doesn't feel right.

"Come on, let's go take a look around," Aang suggests.

With nothing else to do, the others all agree and begin to wander through the Spirit World in search of the spirits or an answer to why they're there. Zuko wonders what the spirits could possibly want with them all. It's the Avatar who is the gate between worlds. Surely if they wanted something, wouldn't they just drag Aang across rather than all of them?

It doesn't make any sense.

Still, Zuko follows the gang through the Spirit World, content to hang at the back of the group and keep an eye out for any potential threats. He's read about the spirits that haunt the spirit world, and he'd rather not meet any of them in person. Especially Koh, the face stealer. 

They walk for a while, with no way to tell where they are or where they're headed. Only Aang has been to the Spirit World before but even he doesn't seem to know the layout of the place. Zuko has small cuts on his hands and forearms from where he's made contact with thorny brushes multiple times. He only hopes they won't follow him into the physical world.

"This place is spooky," Sokka says as they all hop over a stream. He, too, has small cuts from thorns littering his hands and arms. If he had his boomerang, Zuko knows he'd have batted the foliage away before it could pierce his skin.

As it goes, none of them has any weapons at their disposal. They only have the clothes on their backs and nothing else. Not even their bending. If they have to engage in a fight or defend themselves, they will have to rely on skill alone.

"You're telling me," Zuko mutters. Some kind of animal howls in the distance, sending a shiver scurrying up his spine.

"Can you not get us out of here, Aang?" Sokka whines miserably.

"Sorry, Sokka, but I don't know how," Aang apologises.

"You don't know how? But you're you- the Avatar, gateway between worlds!" Sokka waves his arms about madly.

"I don't even know how we got-"

"Twinkletoes," Toph interrupts quickly. She puts an arm out, pausing both herself and everyone else's journey.

"Yeah?" Aang asks.

"Something is coming toward us," Toph informs him.

"Is it a spirit?" Aang questions hopefully.

"I can't tell," Toph answers, "two legs, short, Zuko's height? Maybe the same weight. It feels human."

"Let's go!" Aang decides then takes off running in the direction Toph had gestured towards.

"You're running towards it! Why?!" Sokka cries but chases after Aang anyway.

With an eye roll, Zuko picks up his pace and chases after everyone. They could very well be heading to their deaths, they need him.

He's just about to come crashing out of the thick foliage he and the others had been making their way out of when he hears a cry that sounds suspiciously like Aang coming from the other side, followed by another more feminine cry that he can't imagine coming from Toph or Katara.

"Guys!" He calls just as he tumbles out of the foliage. He almost falls but manages to keep his balance at the last second.

He looks up and spots Aang and the others. They're already in fighting stances and he's quick to follow them, though he doesn't know what he's fighting yet. His eyes glance quickly at his friends just to make sure they're all okay.

"Azula!" Aang bites.

Zuko's heart stutters and he looks forward in order to see, exactly as Aang had said, Azula. His eyes widen marginally at the sight before he forces himself to keep his composure. Showing any sign of weakness in front of his sister is the biggest mistake anyone can make.

At the front of the group, also in a defensive position, Azula keeps her eyes on all of them. If she's surprised to see Zuko with the enemy, she doesn't show it. Her hair is in its mandatory bun on top of her head, but it's messy. There are hairs loose, including some that falls in front of her eyes. Speaking of her eyes, Zuko can see plain as day something in them that he can't place. 

Another thing he notices is that she's not in her usual uniform. No, she's wearing pyjamas. His guess is that she had been asleep like that the rest of them before ending up in the Spirit World. Zuko can't imagine why the spirits would drag her, the enemy, along with them.

"Azula," Sokka grits out, "so it's you who's behind all this. Why?"

"You think I dragged you all here?" Azula scoffs. "Please, if I _had_ been the one behind this, you'd know."

"Hah, like we'd believe _you_ of all people," Sokka laughs sarcastically, "you're a liar."

Zuko can see the hidden fury behind Azula's eyes and he knows he has to step in before Azula does any permanent damage on either Sokka or the Spirit World himself. He's sure she would find a way.

"She's telling the truth," Zuko steps in. He keeps his stance, just in case, but turns his head slightly to address his friends.

"You expect us to believe that?" Sokka questions.

"Yes," Zuko says, "trust me."

From the corner of his eye, he can see the look Katara throws him at that, but he knows they don't have time to get into her distrust of him when they're still face-to-face with Azula.

"I trust you," Aang says to Zuko then turns to address Azula, "how did you get here?"

"Why should I tell you, Avatar?" Azula turns her nose up, as if too good to divulge that information with him.

"Because I am the Avatar and if you want safe passage out of the spirit world, you'll trust me and tell me what you know."

Azula clenches her jaw as she and Aang stare each other down. Zuko can tell that Azula is weighing her options.

"Fine, Avatar," Azula relents and slowly eases herself from her defensive stance. "I woke up here. That's all there is to it. Now, if you'll be so kind as to release me from whatever this is."

Just as Aang opens his mouth to give a reply, the ground shakes. It's brief, yet rough, and the group find themselves quickly grabbing onto whatever is closest to keep themselves on their feet. Once the trembling subsided, they all hesitantly let go of their leverage and glanced around in confusion.

"What was that?" Katara asks with worry.

"I don't know..." Aang admits.

Zuko can see Azula open her mouth to begin complaining, but she is immediately hushed by muffled voices that aren't coming from himself or the others. It seems that said voices are coming from everywhere and nowhere, all at once. It makes Zuko's head hurt trying to figure out the source. 

As the voices grow louder and more clear, Zuko realises they are familiar. He can see the confusion on his friends' faces, but as he catches Azula's eyes, he knows why they're familiar. They're him and Azula, undoubtedly when they were children, still carefree and running around the palace grounds playing together.

"Where are those voices coming from?" Toph asks.

Another rumble catches them all off-guard and Sokka and Toph both fall to the floor. This time it is more unsteady and quaky. It lasts longer, and Zuko is sure the scenery around them is changing, but he's more interested in helping Toph up lest she gets hurt. By the time he has helped her up, the rumbling has stopped, but something had changed around them.

They are still in some kind of garden, standing on grass, but it is no longer dark and spooky. Now, it's bright and colourful with the sun shining brightly, casting a warm glow on them all. There's a large oak tree in the centre of the garden under which a little girl of around nine or ten with dark hair and a fringe is sitting, watching another girl do a handstand with boredom. Near the tree is a pond with turtleducks swimming around lazily in the water.

Zuko recognises the garden they're now standing in. He recognises the tree and the girls under it. He recognises the pond. He has fed the turtleducks floating in it hundreds of times. 

But why? Why is the spirit world showing them this? Of what importance are Mai and Ty Lee to them now? It's true that Zuko misses Mai, and he wants to run back to the Fire Nation or wherever she is now and hold her in his arms until they grow old, but why is the spirit world showing them this?

"What's happening?" He asks aloud, throat suddenly dry.

"You tell me," Toph says, "why has everything changed?"

"Hey, are those your friends?" Sokka asks Azula.

Azula glances at him, but doesn't dignify him with an answer.

"It looks like this is the past," Aang says slowly, looking around at their surroundings.

In the garden they're standing in, Mai stands up and stretches. She moves around the tree, out of sight of the onlookers. Out of curiosity, Zuko moves closer to the tree to a point where he can see Mai again. Behind the tree, however, it looks like she's not alone. Sitting at the base with Mai looking down at her is little Azula,

Zuko frowns, trying to wrack his memory to see if he can remember what he's looking at, but he can't so he concludes this is a memory he's not a part of. He wonders, then, why the spirits brought himself and his friends to see Azula's memories. 

"I'm bored," young Mai tells the just as young Azula.

Little Azula ignores her, however, in favour of staring at the flames she's cradling in her hands.

"Azula, I want to play," Mai says with a frown.

"Go play with Ty Lee," young Azula orders.

"But-" Mai begins, only to be interrupted by a pair of guards who have run out into the yard and approached them.

The guards silently bow as Azula rises to her feet, looking smug at the way the men are bowing to her.

"You may speak," young Azula tells them.

"Princess Azula, his majesty Fire Lord Ozai requests your presence immediately," the guard on the left informs Azula.

"Take me to him," the little Azula sighs.

"Of course," the guard on the right nods.

"Of course _what_?" Azula scowls.

"Of course, Princess Azula," the same guard hastily corrects himself.

"That's better," Azula says, "now, we'd better hurry. You don't want to upset father by being tardy."

"No, Princess Azula."

With worried looks on their faces, the guards turn tail and begin a fast-paced walk back into the palace. Following the guards, Azula looks back at Mai and Ty Lee.

"Don't leave," she calls back to them.

"Whatever," little Mai sighs and slumps down to lean against the base of the tree. Ty Lee happily continues cartwheeling her way around the tree.

The group watching the events glance at each other in confusion. 

"That was random," Toph points out.

"Do we follow them?" Aang questions out loud.

"I guess," Sokka shrugs.

Zuko looks toward Azula who is staring at the doorway to the palace. Her arms are crossed and her stance is tense, but Zuko can see the conflicted look on her face. He doesn't know when in the past any of this happened, but judging by his sister's expression, it's probably a memory just as unpleasant as the rest of their childhood.

"Is that a good idea?" He asks Aang.

"What do you mean? The spirits are obviously trying to tell us something," Aang replies.

"Maybe, but can't they just tell us in person? I mean, they want us to know so bad, why don't they show their faces?" Zuko crosses his arm in finality. Unintentionally, he ends up looking a lot like Azula does.

" _Follow_ ," a voice whispers in his ear. He whips around to catch whoever has successfully snuck up on him, but no one is there.

"Did you guys hear that too?" He asks the others, heart pounding.

"Yeah," Sokka whimpers, wide eyes staring ahead.

"Let's go," Aang hurriedly says then runs after the past Azula and the guards.

With no choice but to follow, Zuko and the others chase after him. In his hurry, he still manages to notice Azula's reluctance to follow though she eventually does.

Zuko isn't looking forward to whatever they're about to see.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate Ozai❤️☺️🥰

The group has to run to keep up with the young Azula and her guards, as they’re walking quite fast. Zuko is used to it, having always walked that fast himself in the past when his father requested his presence in the throne room, but the Avatar and his friends are clearly confused as to why they’re power walking.

Eventually, after following young Azula and making their way through half of the palace to the throne room where Ozai is waiting impatiently, the group arrived and settled quietly at the back of the throne room, as if praying they wont be spotted though they all already know that they are invisible to the past.

Up at the front of the room, Zuko sees his father pacing back and forth in front of his grandfather who is sitting on the throne behind a wall of flames. Even though it is just a vision the spirits are replaying, Zuko can’t help but tense in anticipation. Nothing good ever came from his father pacing. He has to force himself to keep his head up rather than bowing it in fear and respect.

”This is creepy,” Sokka shivers to Zuko’s right, “can’t you, like, summon the spirits or something so we can talk, Aang?”

“I don’t think it works like that, Sokka,” Aang says awkwardly, “sorry.”

As young Azula is left by the guards and kneels in front of Ozai and Azulon, Zuko turns his head left where the real Azula- older Azula- is stood at the far left beside Toph. Her body language is defensive as is her facial expression. Her jaw is clenched and her eyebrows pinched slightly as she looks ahead of her.

Zuko wants to move from between Aang and Sokka to stand beside Azula instead, his hidden brotherly instincts rioting against his logical mind, but before he can, Ozai has stopped in front of young Azula and begun to speak.

”Do you know why I have summoned you here, Azula?” He asks.

Just the sound of his voice makes Zuko swallow nervously, his stomach clenching. Many times Zuko has been summoned by his father for one thing or another. Most times, it had been because he wasn’t doing well enough during training or because he was being blames for ‘perfect’ Azula’s mistakes.

“No, father,” young Azula answers Ozai. Zuko can tell she is being honest as she keeps her head bowed. 

“Look at me when I am speaking to you, girl,” Ozai orders, voice calm and steady. 

It seems even Azula knew when to stay in her place as she lifts her head to look at Ozai, towering above her. 

Before anyone else can say anything, young Azula is thrown to the floor with the force of Ozai’s backhand. She lets out a startled, pained yelp and stays where she has fallen, palm pressed to her reddening cheek.

“Oh my- wha-“ Katara stammers, alarmed. 

“Woah!” Sokka cries.

Zuko closes his eyes and bows his head, ashamed to call the man in front of him his father. 

“What just happened?” Toph asks immediately.

Opening his eyes, Zuko looks over to her. Her eyes are wide as if, if she opens them wider she might be able to see what is happening.

His eyes drift up a bit more to where Azula is standing beside Toph. With the light produced from Azulon’s flames, Zuko can see the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. He wants to say something to her, comfort her, apologise for their asshole father, but how would he even begin to start that conversation? _Hey, dad abused you too? Want to talk about it over a cup of Uncle’s tea?_

Even it he could find the correct words to apologise, he knows it wouldn’t be well-received. Azula is too complicated. Sometimes he can’t even tell whether or not she loves or hates him. 

“Get up, Azula,” Ozai’s voice rings out through the room, deep and commanding. 

Zuko looks back to the past and watches as young Azula nods and scrambles to her feet. It is obvious she is trying to maintain her composure, her grace, but with what had just happened, she is slipping.

Ozai looks at Azula for a few more seconds before turning to a pair of guards standing dutifully at the doors.

”Bring her in,” he orders the guards.

With a nod, they exit the room, leaving the occupants in a tense silence. Azula has once again bowed her head, but Ozai doesn’t mention it this time. In fact, he looks satisfied, as if he had been expecting it. 

A heavy, tense silence envelopes everyone, including the unseen spectators. Zuko desperately tries to catch Azula’s eyes, but his sister refuses to look at anyone, instead keeping her angry gaze ahead of herself. 

Too soon, the guards return to the room, this time with an extra person in tow. Trailing behind the guards is a young girl, looking to be the same age as Azula, perhaps maybe only a year older. Her hair is dark, with some of it covering her right eye. 

She looks nervous, though it is apparent she is trying to appear tough in front of everybody. She refuses to meet Ozai’s eyes, though the man is watching her intently, a look of disdain on his face. 

The guards deposit the young girl in front of Ozai, about a foot away from Azula. They bow with respect to Ozai then return to their posts by the door. In front of Ozai, the unknown girl bows slowly then straightens herself but keeps her head down just like Azula.

Ozai remains silent, simply watching the girls with furrowed brows and frown. His look of disdain doesn’t vanish.

”Azula,” he addresses his daughter, “do you recognise this girl?”

It is hardly a question judging by the tone of his voice, but he asks her anyway. 

Young Azula glances up and and towards the girl on her left then quickly looks down again.

”No, father,” she denies.

”No?” Ozai presses. “You don’t recognise her.”

Azula shakes her head.

”Who is she?” Zuko quietly asks the real-time Azula.

For a few seconds he doesn’t think she’ll answer, but then she squares her shoulders and replies.

”Her name was June,” she says, “she was my only friend outside of Mai and Ty Lee. Outside the _Palace_.”

The way she says Palace is strange. If Zuko didn’t know any better, he’d suspect hatred hidden beneath her haughty tone.

Suddenly the name of the girl rings a bell in his head and his eyes widen. He opens his mouth to say something, but then Ozai beats him to it.

”You don’t remember this girl? You don’t remember all of your secret meetings at night out of the Palace?” Ozai presses even further. 

This time younger Azula doesn’t answer. Doesn’t even shake her head. 

“That’s a shame,” Ozai continues, “because she remembers you.”

Young Azula mutters something inaudible to not only the gang, but to Ozai and Azulon themselves. 

“Speak up, girl!” Ozai roars, fury quickly overtaking his face. With a sweap of his hand, he sends flames licking at the tips of the girls’ feet.

Young June jumps back a bit, and Azula breaks.

”Please, father! I’m so sorry! It won’t happen again, I promise,” Azula keeps her head bowed, but her shoulders shake with her cries.

”Save your crying for someone who cares,” Ozai growls, “you will be punished for your insolence and for bringing shame upon the Fire Nation. You will go to your chambers without food, you are forbidden from leaving your room. Beginning tomorrow you will train nonstop for a week.”

”But, father,” Azula sobs, finally falling to the floor.

”Get up!” Ozai roars. He grabs Azula by the back of her shirt and drags her to her feet without care. Azula stumbles but refuses to fall lest she further invoke her father’s wrath. “You are forbidden from seeing this girl ever again, do you understand me?”

”Please,” Azula hiccups.

”Do you understand?” Ozai growls.

Young Azula jerkily nods her head and tightly wraps her arms around her stomach.

”I’m sorry, father,” she whimpers pathetically.

Ozai ignores her constant string of apologies from there and snaps his fingers. The same two guards from before rush over to June, who is also crying with heartbreak. They grab her too roughly by the arms and practically drag her from the room. 

“Azula!” She yells then attempts wriggle free from the guards, but her tiny body is no match for two fully grown firebenders, and they quickly and swiftly carry her away.

The doors slam shut behind then and suddenly its just Ozai, Azula, and Azulon. A few guards stand at the very back of the room, but young Azula and the gang spectating are only watching the royals.

Ozai sneers at Azula and turns away.

”To your room, Azula,” he orders as if the mere effort of speaking to his daughter is too strenuous to manage. 

Still crying, Azula nods her head and hurries to exit the room.

Before she can even reach the exit, the scene shifts again. Everything trembles and rocks, it sounds like a landslide is fast approaching them but before anything can happen, it stops and the gang find themselves back where they began.

”Have we moved again?” Toph asks. She grabs the nearest person to her which happens to be Azula, but the latter pushes her away and Zuko takes her instead.

”We’re back where we started,” Zuko tells her.

”What the hell was that?” Sokka demands. He voices everyone else’s thoughts. 

“I think the spirits just showed ha the past,” Aang answers quietly. 

“How could a father treat his own child like that?” Katara questions. “Even if that child is _you_ ,” she adds quickly and crosses her arms when Azula raises an eyebrow.

”He was doing what was best for me,” Azula replies with a serious face, “he inew that getting involved with a peasant girl such as her was a bad choice and so he told me as such.”

”What happened to June?” Zuko asks. He thinks about hiring June while hunting the Aang. He wonders how she even became a bounty hunter.

“I don’t know and quite frankly, I don’t care,” Azula shrugs.

”How can you be so heartless?” Zuko frowns. “She was your friend and you were clearly heartbroken when father sent her away.”

Azula scoffs.

”Heartless?” She challenges. Her arms fall to her side and her fingers twitch, as if preparing to attack.

“Okay, calm down,” Aang steps between the siblings, “let’s just forget about all of this and find a spirit. We still need to figure out why we’re here.”

”Aang is right,” Katara agrees.

Sokka nods his own agreement.

”Okay, are we all agreed?” Aang looked at both Azula and Zuko.

Though neither of them answer, Azula doesn’t attack and Zuko doesn’t continue to berating her so he takes that as an agreement. 

“Good,” Aang smiles, “now, I think we should go that way. It looks like there might be a house over there.”

”I don’t see a hou-“ Sokka starts, standing on his tiptoes, “-oh, wait! It’s a tree house! Awesome!”

”A tree house?” Toph questions, eyes wide with excitement.

”Yup! Let’s go,” Aang leads the way and quickly, the others fall in line and follows in the direction of the tree house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how old june is because it was never mentioned and i cant find any information/references to it, so in this fic, she’s a year older than azula  
> l


End file.
